The goal of SURFICE is to train thirteen early stage researchers (ESRs) in the field of atmospheric icing of solid surfaces and ice protection technologies, using an intersectoral approach in research and training. The primary goal of SURFICE is to put forward a rational design of sustainable technologies for an efficient protection against icing of solid surfaces, by designing innovative discontinuity enhanced icephobic materials, coatings and systems, based on better understanding of the physics of ice formation on complex surfaces. Icing is a natural phenomenon affecting our daily life and safe operations in diverse areas, such as aeronautics and ground transportation, operations in critical environment, power systems (such as power lines, wind turbines or solar panels), communication systems and infrastructures. Especially human activities at high latitudes or at high altitudes require energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable ice protection solutions. The funding of large-scale EU projects related to icing over the last decade (e.g. EXTICE, STORM, HAIC, Phobic2Ice) and currently running (Music-HAIC, since 2018, Ice Genesis and SENS4ICE, since 2019) evidence the high-priority of this topic in Europe, mainly due to the flight security issues associated with icing in aeronautic applications. The existing solutions for prevention or delay of icing, for reduction of the icing rate and for ice removal facilitation include both active and passive systems. The former are rather sophisticated mechanical or energy demanding thermal systems and the latter include systems which are specialised materials or morphological modifications of surfaces or coatings.The passive systems are often based on the use of hydrophilic polymers and utilization of colligative properties of solutions for lowering of the freezing point. Also, superhydrophobic and lubricant-infused surfaces may reduce the time of water contact with the surface or reduce adhesion strength. Currently, technological problems are associated with the design of coating based anti-icing systems, such as substrate erosion and corrosion, and liquid impalement and consequent increase in ice adhesion to the solid surface due to high-speed drop impact. Even relatively small improvements in the efficiency of the anti-ice systems can be extremely beneficial for industry. These improvements are limited by the current heuristic approaches to the design since the basic understanding of the physics of ice nucleation in supercooled liquids or ice adhesion is still rather limited. A further constraint associated with materials used in aerospace is the European REACh legislation, effective since 2007, according to which materials of concern must be gradually replaced with safe chemicals. All materials and coatings developed within SURFICE will be REACh-compliant by design. The scientific approach of SURFICE is based on a breakthrough idea of discontinuity-enhanced icephobicity. The underpinning concept is that discontinuity in wetting, morphology or local mechanical or thermal properties can promote ice-controlled nucleation, delay freezing inception, lower the freezing point and the effective adhesion force.